OMG ,I want Penniless Parenting's homemade pads!

[clibbyjo]

Penniless parenting is making postpartum pads and has a tutorial. I was reading it and thinking of cool material I could use. I want homemade cotton pads now! I was pretty crunchy to begin with, but I always stopped with this product. I am thinking maybe I should make some. How hard can it be? (I don't sew at ALL) Maybe I'll check etsy?

These fundies have taken over my life when I am even considering this. :doh:

[Buzzard]

Penniless parenting is making postpartum pads and has a tutorial. I was reading it and thinking of cool material I could use. I want homemade cotton pads now! I was pretty crunchy to begin with, but I always stopped with this product. I am thinking maybe I should make some. How hard can it be? (I don't sew at ALL) Maybe I'll check etsy?

These fundies have taken over my life when I am even considering this. :doh:

I've always wondered about that "handisew" thing I see in target and bed bath and beyond all the time. Its a hand held sewing machine for light projects. BBB takes EVERYTHING back...

[Jessica]

You can find a bunch of little stores on Etsy that sell them. My favorite is Mimi's Dreams. saucytots.com/catalog.php?category=31

[Vex]

I find those handheld sewing machines quite difficult to use, but I was also the only person to break an overlocker in Home Ec back in high school, so...

I think that unless you have experience with sewing machines, it will be neater and easier to hand sew them.

[Wolfie]

I find those handheld sewing machines quite difficult to use, but I was also the only person to break an overlocker in Home Ec back in high school, so...

I think that unless you have experience with sewing machines, it will be neater and easier to hand sew them.

I've heard awful things about the handheld machines- and with overlockers, it's easy to get one thread tension wrong and have all kinds of issues.

All you need is a straight stitch machine to make pads, and they're easy to find at thrift shops and yard sales. I do make my own pads, and I used to sell some, but I never really took off, so I have been focusing on my other etsy shop with bags and yarn.

[haveapicniclife]

They are surprisingly hard to sew. All those layers have to be perfectly cut and all the edges caught by the sewing machine or else they bunch up when you wash them. Does that make sense? A serger would make it really easy. You could try hand sewing them but you might have edges that unravel after washing.

[Conuly]

Many people find bamboo or hemp to be better (more absorbent) for pads and diapers, so you might consider that.

[clibbyjo]

Wah, too much trouble, you guys are killing me! I think I will just buy them if they are that hard. My luck I will wash them and get a bunch of bunched up, unraveling material.I think a friend of mine used to sell them, I'll ask her first then move on to etsy.

[Vex]

I've heard awful things about the handheld machines- and with overlockers, it's easy to get one thread tension wrong and have all kinds of issues.

All you need is a straight stitch machine to make pads, and they're easy to find at thrift shops and yard sales. I do make my own pads, and I used to sell some, but I never really took off, so I have been focusing on my other etsy shop with bags and yarn.

That makes me feel better, thank you! What kind of yarn do you sell? I use a lot of it in various projects and I'm always on the lookout for interesting yarn.

[Rosa]

I have a bunch of Glad Rags and I love them. But I don't sew.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Her family uses "family cloth" too.

(and she posts on imamother...)

[Mama Mia]

I'm no where near that crunchy... but if you look for things made out of bamboo you are also getting added anti-bacterial protection

[ilovetchotchkes]

I ADORE my mama cloth. In fact, i'm ordering more off of etsy for when the baby is born for PP, because I won't be able to use tampons, and the disposable ones give me the itchies. (We were totally not surprised that our son is allergic to disposable diapers as well. )

You'd need a snap press, which you can get, but its like $50, i'd just buy the pads.... :D and I sew , a LOT

[snarkbillie]

I made some. If you can sew in a straight line you can make them. I used my handheld Singer to make them. I used flannel and I folded a strip over and over and over until it was thick enough and then sewed a line around all the edges.

It's really not as gross as it sounds. I've been using them for 2 years. If you have any um.....practical questions I'm willing to answer them. :D

[aubrietta]

they really are not hard to make. There are tons of tutorials and patterns online. I made mine out of an old towel, a flannel pillow case that had torn and some PUL that i got off etsy for $5. But I don't think I actually need the PUL, as my periods are pretty light.

Edited to add...I can't believe she needed 5 pads at once post-partum. That sounds like haemorrhaging to me, and not normal. I've had two kids and never needed more than one thick post-partum pad at a time.

[Wolfie]

I ADORE my mama cloth. In fact, i'm ordering more off of etsy for when the baby is born for PP, because I won't be able to use tampons, and the disposable ones give me the itchies. (We were totally not surprised that our son is allergic to disposable diapers as well. )

You'd need a snap press, which you can get, but its like $50, i'd just buy the pads.... :D and I sew , a LOT

Snap presses are usually over $100 when you add the dies, but you can get snap plyers for less than $15.

[Wolfie]

Okay, so "bamboo" fiber is really just rayon made with bamboo. It currently is supposed to be labeled as "Bamboo Rayon" or "Rayon of Bamboo" but a lot of people aren't doing that. It is very absorbant, but some of the other touted qualities are not so scientifically proven. It also takes a ton of chemicals to make. If you're okay with that, go for it. Another man made fiber that works well in pads is microfiber, and you can get the towels pretty inexpensively anywhere they sell auto supplies.

[notsocommon]

I made some of mine, but they are not as good as the ones I bought from ETSY.

[pfamilygal]

I adored Ama'z Padz (http://www.amazpadz.com/padz.html) back when I had a uterus.

That said, if you sew your own, I have snap press and would happily snap yours for free!

[PraiseSeitan]

You don't need a snap press for pads, a $5 metal snap kit from Joann works fine.

[Wolfie]

You don't need a snap press for pads, a $5 metal snap kit from Joann works fine.

And Joann's is now selling plastic snaps and plyers for diaper making that would work great. I don't remember the price, but you could use the 40% off coupons that they send out monthly. (I don't think that their snaps are as nice as the resin ones, but they didn't look horrible.)

[pfamilygal]

And Joann's is now selling plastic snaps and plyers for diaper making that would work great. I don't remember the price, but you could use the 40% off coupons that they send out monthly. (I don't think that their snaps are as nice as the resin ones, but they didn't look horrible.)

They also sell PUL, if you want to use that for your bottom layer. I prefer fleece though, I like my princess parts to breathe.

[Mommy22alyns]

I've always wondered about that "handisew" thing I see in target and bed bath and beyond all the time. Its a hand held sewing machine for light projects. BBB takes EVERYTHING back...

No no no!!! That thing is a total piece of crap.

[Witsec7]

Ok my womb has been closed for many years. But I was always happy using sea sponges. Are they out of vogue now?

slinking back to the crone corner

[aubrietta]

I used velcro, but snaps would be better.